Blueberries may be the most iconic wild fruit found across the Northland.
Considered a “super food” packed with nutrients and antioxidants, blueberries are tiny treasures, and they add up fast during good harvest years. Locals celebrate them every summer with berry foraging adventures, festivals, and events that connect the community with the land we love.
Our local forests are actually home to two species of wild blueberry: Vaccinium angustifolium and Vaccinium myrtilloides. Both are common and can be found in the same areas, though they have a slightly different appearance.
The lowbush blueberry, V. angustifolium, looks lighter overall, sporting medium to bright lime green foliage and bright blue berries with a pale powder coating. The velvet leaf or Canadian blueberry, V. myrtilloides, has somewhat darker green leaves and darker berries that often lack the powder coating. While they otherwise look and taste very similar, lowbush blueberries tend to produce larger fruit, which is important to know if you’re looking for the biggest berry of them all.
The Gunflint Trail’s Biggest Blueberry Contest
“In Canoe Country, blueberries aren’t just food but a summer ritual,” says Audrey Mays-Trimble, event coordinator at Visit Cook County. “If you want to understand the soul of Northern Minnesota, you have to look at the Gunflint Trail’s Biggest Blueberry Contest.”
The tradition started in 2017 when a group of resort owners and outfitters were looking for a way to get the community outdoors together and celebrate the peak summer season on the Gunflint Trail. Inspired by the biggest fruit contests seen at fairs (where you might see pumpkins the size of small cars), the group ran with the idea and gave it a fun northwoods spin.
“If you’ve ever picked a wild Minnesota blueberry, you know they are tiny and sometimes no bigger than a pencil eraser,” Mays-Trimble says. “The founders essentially created a high-stakes, hyper-competitive contest centered around fractions of an ounce.”
The rules of the contest are simple: Blueberries must be foraged from the wild locally near the Gunflint Trail (no store-bought impostors allowed!) and weighed at an official weigh station at a participating lodge or outfitter between July 17 and Aug. 9.
“It’s charming because it turns a quiet, solitary pastime, like picking berries in the woods, into a community-wide treasure hunt,” says Mays-Trimble.
Prizes will be awarded to the foragers who find the three largest berries, with an additional prize going to someone who participates in the Do North social media tag on Instagram. Simply tag @DoNorthMN and include the hashtag #DoNorthMN with your photos during the contest to be part of “a living digital scrapbook of Northwoods culture” and for another chance at winning. Prizes will be given out at the end of blueberry season.
More than just a local berry hunting game, the contest has become a “regional must-do experience,” says Mays-Trimble. “The real event is a celebration of the Gunflint Trail itself and a Northwoods culture that you truly cannot find anywhere else.”
In addition to their delectable taste and eye-catching color, wild blueberries have a storied history and important cultural significance in the area. “Indigenous Ojibwe people intentionally used fire to manage the forests and promote the growth of these native sweet berries,” Mays-Trimble explains. “They represent resilience, the sweet reward of a hard day’s forage, and the idea that up north, the best things come in small packages.”
After the destructive Ham Lake Fire near the Gunflint Trail in 2007, blueberries were among the first plants to reclaim the scorched earth, and they thrived in the open sunlight. By the contest’s inception, 10 years later, they were everywhere, though in recent years they’ve been fighting with growing trees and shrubs for light.
“As the forest naturally regenerates and changes over time, finding those hidden patches requires more strategy, deeper local knowledge, and a closer relationship with the land,” Mays-Trimble says. “So while the scales haven’t changed, the adventure certainly has.”
The Gunflint Trail’s Biggest Blueberry Contest is about far more than finding berries. “What they are actually doing is sharing a timeless summer ritual,” Mays-Trimble says. “We now see families who entered back in 2017 returning a decade later, bringing their kids who are now old enough to scout the burn patches themselves. The Gunflint isn’t just a road; it’s a gateway into the wild. It’s a place where life slows down to the rhythm of a canoe paddle dipping into glass-calm water. This year’s celebration is about inviting people to step into that rhythm. It’s an invitation to drive up the trail, roll the windows down, breathe in the scent of pines, and immerse yourself in the forest to find that tiny, blue treasure.”
“Remember, the scale only measures the weight of the berry,” she says. “The real value is in the memories made getting it there.”
Check out visitcookcounty.com for a list of weigh stations and more information.
Ely’s Blueberry Art Festival
As wild blueberries ripen across the land, Ely celebrates the beloved fruit with one of the biggest yearly gatherings in the Northwoods. The Blueberry Art Festival takes place annually on the last full weekend of July, filling Whiteside Park with more than 230 vendors and entertainment for three days. The event draws thousands of visitors to the community to enjoy art, music, food, and local culture.
This year marks the 46th annual Blueberry Art Festival, though the event has humble beginnings. “It started downtown, around Chapman Street, with a handful of vendors,” shares Event Director Kristen Switajewski. “Over time, the event has grown in vendors and attendees.” More than 30,000 festival-goers are typical in recent years.
One of the biggest draws is the fresh-baked blueberry pies made by Ely Kiwanis, sold as part of a fundraiser to support the needs of local children. Ruhland’s Strudel Haus is another favorite, offering sweet and savory freshly made strudels. Switajewski mentions iPierogi, a notable newcomer this year, which “celebrates Polish food traditions with homemade-style pierogis and other traditional Polish favorites.”
“We have many long-time favorite art and craft vendors,” Switajewski says, listing Naena Jewelry, Bear Island Art Factory, Polly Noll Pottery, and Michelle Schwake. Exciting new vendors include Dry Creek Knives, Lily Wenndt Illustration, and HejLöv.
This is the third year attendees can participate in voting for the People’s Choice Best of Show award. “The public can purchase a People’s Choice judge button and a ballot for $5,” Switajewski explains, adding “a portion of the proceeds goes to the top three vendors.” Voting runs from Friday, July 24, through Saturday, July 25, ending at 5 p.m.
There is also an award for Best Food Truck, and the public can vote by scanning the QR code on their favorite truck. “For the last two years, Now That’s Waffles has taken the first-place spot,” says Switajewski, continuing, “let’s see if they can pull a hat trick this year.”
Operation Blueberry is a coinciding event that runs throughout the greater community of Ely. This is where businesses come together to offer their own deals, sales, food, and beverages during the festival. Many will follow the blueberry theme.
The Blueberry Art Festival takes place July 24-26, with parking available on open side streets around Whiteside Park and handicap parking on Harvey Street. For more information, visit ely.org.
Nipigon’s Blueberry Blast Festival
The celebration of blueberries continues into late summer in Ontario, with Nipigon’s 25th annual Blueberry Blast Festival, held Aug. 14-16. Growing every year, the event began as a way to connect the local community with live music, vendors, and of course, wild blueberries.
The scene is described by Glenn Hart, advertising coordinator and owner of Lakeshore Community Publishing, as a “light and easy celebration of blueberries, music, arts and crafts, food, and more.”
Music is a primary focus of the festival, with several headliners Aug. 15-16 from noon to 5 p.m. On Saturday, Aug. 15, visitors will hear The Doghead Mountain Boys, James Boraski, and Indigenous artist Shy-Anne Hovorka. Sunday, brings The Beatitudes Choir, Jim ‘N I, Maple Sting, and the Dorion Band. There is no cost to attend, though donations at the door help support next year’s event.
Visitors can expect to enjoy a “good variety of foods, drinks, baked goods, and more,” says Hart. Blueberry-themed offerings are abundant, and wild berries can be harvested by hand on the back roads outside of town via guided berry-picking tours.
Other features include a celebrity dunk tank, photo booth, daily attendance draw, and a silent auction. There are also games, dances, crafts, and other activities for both kids and adults all weekend long.
The Blueberry Blast festival takes place in historic downtown Nipigon, with the Nipigon Community Center serving as a backup in case of rain.
For more information, visit the Nipigon Blueberry Blast Festival Facebook page at facebook.com/nipigonblueberryblast.